Maryland Coach Gary Williams has signed a new contract that could pay him as much as $2.3 million this year if all athletic and academic incentives are met, the school announced yesterday.

The contract will guarantee Williams, who is in his 17th season coaching his alma mater, $1.6 million this year, which is up from $1.3 million. Bonuses are tied to the program achieving specific graduation rate percentages and the team accomplishing ACC regular season goals.

"This new contract ensures that his compensation will be commensurate to that of the most highly achieving coaches in the nation for the foreseeable future," Maryland Athletic Director Debbie Yow said in a statement.

The contract, which runs through the 2009 season, will be extended through the 2013 season if baseline academic and competitive benchmarks are met in each of the remaining four years.

Williams's contract will be extended one year, past 2009, if Maryland reaches the NCAA tournament and meets one of the following academic incentives: scholarship players earning an average of 27 academic credits or the team achieving a satisfactory Academic Progress Rate score.

The NCAA will use APR scores to measure a program's ability to retain eligible athletes, and schools that do not meet minimum scores will be at risk to lose scholarships.

Williams, who is eight victories shy of becoming Maryland's winningest basketball coach, said recently that he would not take another college job the remainder of his career. Williams, 60, said he once thought about trying to win titles in both the college and pro ranks, but he said of the NBA, "I think that has passed me by."